FAQ

Servicing the Entire Puget Sound

WHAT AREAS DO YOU PROVIDE WATER LEAK DETECTION SERVICES?

We are proud to serve the entire Puget Sound area. From Everett to Olympia – to Bremerton to Woodinville, we provide top-notch water leak detection services.

The sooner you know you have a water leak, the more money you can save. Not only can a water leak run up your water bill, it can cause property damage both inside and outside your home or business. Here’s how to spot the signs that you might have a problem!

INITIAL SIGNS OF A WATER LEAK

Unusually high monthly water bill

An alert from your water company telling you they think you have a water leak

Low water pressure or low volume in your home

The sound of running water, when nothing is in use

Unusual soft or wet areas in the yard, possible=y with standing water

Water meter consumption changing when not using water

ASSESSING IF THE WATER LINE LEAK IS INSIDE OR OUTSIDE

Locate the main shut-off valve to your house. This can be in the garage, a closet, or outside the home. Turn off the valve. After turning off the valve, turn on a faucet inside the house to test if the shut off valve is working properly. If no water is coming out, it is working properly. If water still flows from the faucet after several minutes, the shut off valve is not working.

If you find that your shut-off valve is not working, turn off all water using appliances so that no water is being used accidentally while trying to locate the leak. Make sure to look inside and outside of your house for any appliances/fixtures that use water (toilets, showers, washing machines, fountains connected to a water supply, etc.).

Locate your water meter (if you don’t know which one is yours, call your water company and have them verify which one is yours and mark it with paint). Once you have found it, open the lid on top of your meter box, inside you will find your water meter. Sometimes the meter itself has a small lid on it, flip it open to see the water meter. On most water meters, there is a small triangle on the dial of the meter. Watch is for a period of a minute or so, is it moving?

If the triangle or dial hand is moving, water is still flowing between the meter and the shut-off valve (home). That means you have a leak between the meter and the home. At this point, we recomend to contact a professional to locate and repair the water leak for you. That’s where Clear Water Leak Detection comes in – please request an appointment and we’ll be happy to take it from here.

If it is not moving, then you may have a leak inside your home. Check toilets, washer machines, faucets, etc. for any type of leak. Most leaks inside the home are from toilets. You can check for the water leak by following these steps:

If you have turned off your shut-off valve, turn it back on and have all other water using appliances shut off.

Turn each toilet on one at a time and check the water meter.

If after turning a toilet on, and you look at the meter and the triangle is moving, that tells you that particular toilet has a leak.

Another way or to verify the method above, drop a few drops of food coloring in the tank (the back part where the tank of water is) of the toilet and wait a few minutes (for best results wait 15-20 minutes).

Do not flush the toilet while performing this test!

If after a few minutes you see that the food coloring has found its way into the toilet bowl, then there is a leak. When the toilet is working properly and it is not leaking, there will be no food coloring in the bowl.

If you are still having trouble or suspect you have a leak, we’ll be happy to help.Request Appointment

Can you fix the leak?

Water Service Line Repair or Replacement: With advanced leak detection equipment and an expert staff that knows how to use it, we have the tools necessary to fix the water line leak. After detection the leak, we will repair it in a manner providing the best quality repair. We are also able to replace a water line. The homeowner or business owner is responsible for the water line from the water meter to the home.

Over time, this line might need to be repaired or the best course of action will be that it needs to be replaced. To help make this decision, it is my experience that if the cost to repair the line is approaching half the value of replacing your water line or you have a history of leaks & repairs, you might want to go with replacement so you will not have the cost of finding and fixing a leak in the near future. If you have another company giving you a quote for water line replacement, and you need a second opinion, please do not hesitate to contact us.

So whether you suspect you have a leak or just want to make sure you don’t, count on Clearwater Leak Detection for prompt, honest and professional service. Acting fast will help you save money on your water bill and prevent property damage. This falls in line with our commitment to respect our client’s homes, privacy and schedules.

Trenchless Pipe Installation: Our waterline technicians know you care about your yard and landscaping. So when it comes time to repair your water line, we use (when possible) a trenchless method of installing your water line which includes boring through the ground and placing your new waterline in the newly prepared tunnel. Rarely do we actually need to trench your yard, leaving a long, obvious dirt line where we have been. It is sometimes necessary due to certain property limitations and grading, but more often than not, you’ll never even know we were there.

What do you do once the water leak is discovered?

Water leaks found outside the home will be outlined with blue paint (and flags if possible), designating the dig site area and photographed. The water line will need to be repaired or replaced. Please refer to “Can you fix the leak?” for further information.

For water leaks found inside the home, they are identified and labeled and discussed with the property owner. Water leaks located inside that need to be repaired or replaced, we will refer you to our network of trusted local plumbers.

How long does it take you to find the water leak?

Most jobs will take under 2 hours. Many people think that just because a company says they do leak detection, that they are good at it. Leak detection is not an exact science. Companies will say it is and that is not true. A lot of what leak detection is, is making an educated guess. Taking what the technician knows about water lines, water line history, local codes, local water line installation practices, soil conditions, the history of the area, their specialized training and equipment, and mixing it together to get customers the results they want. Clearwater Leak Detection uses several techniques that yield better than average results in finding leaks.

How do you find the water leak?

Leak Detection is a specialized sector of the plumbing industry, and not all companies have the equipment and experience needed to handle detection and repair. We use technologically advanced detection equipment that allows us to locate and repair leaks efficiently. With our state-of-the-art equipment, we’re able to find the problem. We will come out and find your water line leak. We utilize many methods to find the leak. We have highly sensitive ground microphones that can hear the water movement through the pipes and water leaking out of the pipe underground.

To verify water leaks that we have found we can use helium gas, as a tracer gas, if necessary. Helium gas is lighter than air and is tasteless, odorless, and non-flammable. It is inert and consequently does not react with water or water system materials. It is commonly used in the medical, food, and sea-diving industries. We pressurize the water line with helium gas and have a detector that works above ground to detect gas leaking out of the water line, rising through the soil. There are times we will also listen with the acoustic equipment for the gas escaping out of the water line where the leak is present. Not only do we use helium gas, we also utilize other types of compressed gases to get the job done.

What is your experience and education with water systems?

With over 20 years experience, including owning his own business since 2007, Simon’s experience and understanding of water systems help him diagnose where your water line is, where the leak is and what the best options are; whether it be repairing or replacing your water line. He has over 15 years experience managing and maintaining a municipal water system. Clearwater Leak Detection is licensed (CLEARLD891JG) and bonded in the State of Washington.

Leak Detection is a specialized sector of the plumbing industry, and not all companies have the equipment and experience needed to handle detection and repair. We use technologically advanced detection…